Automobile tread



Patented VJuly l, y1930 GEORGE n. wnrrnocx, or TOLEDO, OHIO AUTOMOBILE :BREAD Application filed June 15,

My invention has for its object to provide yan efficient means forsecuring a flexibley cover to the surface of running boards to form a` cushioned surface or tread part for those 5 entering the automobile. The invention par-y ticularly relates to a construction whereby A the tread may be readily secured or replaced.`

It particularly has for its, object to provide a means whereby a iiexible sheet materialv 10 maybe readily ksecured 1n a tautcondition and so as to form anelastic cushion covering.

the upper surface of the running board.

The invention may be contained in struc- I tures that vary in their details and, to illus- '15 trate a practioalapplication ofthe invention, I haveselected a tread embodying the invention as an example of the various embodimentsof my invention and. shall describe it hereinafterL The construction selected as an example is shown together with one or two modifications of its detailsin the accompanying drawing. i

Fig. 14 villustrates Aa perspective view of a part of an automobile kwherein the running board is conventionally illustrated.. Fig. 2 is a viewv of a transverse section of the tread taken substantiallyV along` the line 2'-2 indi# cated in Fig.l 1. Fig; 3 is an enlarged view of a part of-the running board shownrjin Fig. 2. Fig. .4: is a view of a section taken onthe plane of the line ,4--4indicated in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 illustrates the means that maybe utilized'for. drawing the sheet material tightly acrossthe surface of the running board. Fig. 6 is a modiiication of an attaching means shown in Fig. 2. Fig., 7 is a third modification of that attaching means. Fig. 8 illustratesa transverse section ofy a wooden running board'wherein the means embodying my invention for. drawing the sheet material acrossthe surface offthe running board is utilized. 9 f j a In the. form of construction shown in the figures, a flexible sheetmaterial is secured at one edge of the running board and means is provided for tightly drawing the sheet ma-y terial over the surface of the'running board,V and securing it in its taut condition. If desired, a sub-cushioning material maybelocated below the sheetmate'rial in order 'to 1929. 'serial No. 371,092.

produce a more pronounced cushioning eifect. Preferably, the sheet material used is elastic and formed of a composition that will maintain its elasticity. In the particular examples selected for purposes ofillustration, the sheet materialis formed of rubber backed by a suitable fabric to strengthen it and to maintain it-in the form in which it is drawn and prevent buckling, etc. It may be secured at ,y one edge ofthe running board in any way desired, such as by nailing or clampingA it along the edge, preferably, along the underk side of the running board, lwhile the opposite n side edge of the sheet material is, preferably, secured by a means that may be utilized for drawing the sheet material taut over the surface of the running board or over the sur-k face of the sub-cushioning elastic material, V

and which is so constructed that it may beeasily clamped to the running` board or to a part attached to the running board in order to hold it in the positionwherein it will main! tain the sheet material in its stretched condition., c l c In the form of construction shown inFigs.

2, 3, and 4,the sheet material` 1 may be secured along one side 'edge of the ,running board by means of a sheet metal strip that extends-substantially the lengthof the said side edge of the running board and to which the sheetmaterial is secured as by rit being tightly clamped in the folds of the strip 2. The strip 2 is provided with a flat body por tion 3 anda folded ,portion t that has an inwardlyextending returned portion 5.' The edge of the sheet materialllies between thel body `portion 3 and the-returned portion 5 and is tightly clamped therebetween to securely connect the strip 2to the edge of the sheet material 1. i l

The running board v10, in the form of construction shown in Figs. 2, 3, and f1, is formed ofsheet metal, itbeing` provided with suit` able closed looped portions 11 running lengthwise of` the'running boardl for reinforcing purposes. Itis provided with a flange `l2 extending along one sideedge. The flange 12-has an upwardly extending portion 13 and a curved surface at the bend, 11iA that forms the lower edge of the flange 12. The iange 12 may also'be provided with a returned portion 15 that is located in spacedrelation and substantially parallel with the body portion of the flange 12. For clinching purposes, the upwardly extending portion 13 is bent in` ward to a position that is normally slightly inclinedto the inner surface of the body of the flange 12. *The body portion 3 of the strip 2 is formed to have a width such that when the lower edge of the portion 3 of the strip 2 is located in the space' between the upper edge of the returned portion 15, the upper edge of the portion 3 of the strip 2 will lie against the under surface of the running board 1() and at a point remote Jfromv the inner corner between the'inside surface of theV flange 12 and the under surface of the running board 10, substantially as shown in Fig. 3. When, therefore, the upper part of the st-rip 3 is pressed towards the flange, the

lower edge of the'strip willforce its waybee tween the returned portion 15 and the body of the flange 12 and these parts will elastic'ally clamp thestrip 3 in position. As the upper end of the strip 2 is lforced lto approach the inside 'surface of the flange 12, the strip 2 will eventually snap into position, that is,

the position shown, in Fig. 2, and will be securely locked therein and may be removed therefrom only by pulling on the sheet material 1 in a'direction away from the inside surface of the fiange.

The sheet material 1 is then dra-wn down-v ward over the curved surface of the bend 14 and so as to maintain the strip 3 in its locked position. rl`he sheet material 1 ext-ends upward over the body of the flange 12 and across i the top of the running board tothe opposite side edge where it is secured by any suitable means. Preferably, the edge of the sheet material l, that is last'to be secured, is connected to a means whereby the sheet materialrmay be tightly drawn and then by the said means may be removably secured in its'taut condi- '1 tion. Thus, if it is desired to remove theelastic covering, which may arise byreason y of injury thereto as by colliding with some Vfl. cf..

object, it may be easily done and the coveringk maybe readily replaced by another.

yIn the particular embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 2,3, and 4, the edge of the sheet material 1 isprovided with a strip 20 of sheet metal that may be bent so as to clinch one edge'of the sheet material 1 as by the portions 21, 22, and 23, that are oined by the curved portions 24 and 25.v vThe strip 2O is also bent to form a curved portion 26 and the portion 27, that is inclined to the central portion 23 of the strip 20. The portions 23Y and 27 form a V-shaped portion for engaging an edge part attached to or formed integral with the running board. The running board 10 is provided with a flange 28 that extends along one of the side edges of the 'j running board and it may be provided witha Y flange 28. The sheet material 1 is, preferably,

cut Vat a width such as to enable the location'of the-curved portion 25 of the strip 20 against the flange 28 at a point located on the inclined portion 29 with the edge 31 of the strip ,2O against the outside surface of the flange 28. Inward and downward pressure of the. strip k20 causes a wedging action along the inclined surface of the por tion 29 until the edge 31 of the strip 2O passes below the edge of the flange 28 and to a point substantially as shown in Fig. 5, which operates to drawv the sheet material 1 tightly across the top of the running board. Inward pressure of the strip 20, as at the curved portion 26, will cause the strip to roll on the flange 28, it being held from upward movement by the inclined surface 29 and the friction, due tothe pressure thatis applied to the strip. This will cause the inner surface of the portion 27 of' the strip 2O to wedge over the lower edge of the flange 28until the lower edge of the flange 28k enters the curved portion 26er the strip 20 inwhich operation the sheet material is further stretched by the movement of the strip 20 to a pointsuch that the inside surface of the curved portion 20 engages the lower edge of the flange 28. The strip 20 may then be secured in position by bending the portion 27 or parts thereof, as at 33, against the inside surface of the flange 28. When it is desired to remove the sheet material 1, all that is necessary is to bend the portions 33, by means of a suitable tool, outward with respect to the strip 20, whereupon the strip 20 may be slipped over the'edge of the flange 28 and thus the sheet material 1 will be released from alongthe said edge of the running board. The other edge ofthe sheet'material may thenbe disconnected from the running board by merely yanking the body of the sheet material so as'to pull the strip12 away from the corner into which it is fitted, as heretofore described.

As shown in Fig. 6, the strip 3may be re-` placed by a strip 40 that may alsobe nickelmaaar/fer be connected to a strip by means of the bent portions 51 and 52, ysubstantially in the same manner `that the sheet material is secured to the edge of the strip 40. The strip 50 maybe provided with a vcurved portion 53 and the iange 54`mayv be providedrwith a curved portion 55 and these curved portions may be interloclred, substantially in the same mannerthat the curved portions of the form i y of strip 1 shown'inv Fig. 6, are interloclred. Y'Ihe strip 50, however,fis much narrowerthan the strip 4() and so as to locate the edge of the sheetmateriallfat a point below the edge kof the flange 54. The edge portion of the sheet material 1 thus extends along the outer surface of the flange 54 and over the top of the running board.V

In the construction shown in Fig. 8, the running board is formed of wood and in place of the locking stripsfor securing one edge of the sheet material 1 along one edge of the running board, as described in connection with the forms of construction shown in Figs. 2, 6, and?, thesheet material 1 may be tacked or nailed'as bythe nails 62,(to one y side edge of the running board. Itmay be secured to the under side surfacer of the running board and drawn over the top of the running board tothe opposite side edge. The

edge of the sheetmaterial 1 may be provided with the bent strip 20 and the running board may be provided with an L-iron or vL-shaped strip 63 having the flanged'part 64. ilvThe L-shaped 'part may 'be located at a pointV such that the flanged part `64-will be located slightly remote from the vlower corner 65 `of the running board 60. kThis provides a heel along'the lower sidenear theledge of the running board-for engagementof the strip 20, that is, the engagement'of the portion`22- and they curved Vportion 25. of the strip 20. The lwidth ofthe flange 64, with' respect to the portions of the strip 20, is such that' when the portion 22 kengages the'under sidesurface of the runningv board, at the-corner .65,v the edge 31 maybelocated beneath the edge of the flange 64 and, upon rollingthe strip 20., the portion 27 will wedge under the edge of the flange 64 soas to cause the sheet material 1 to be drawn taut in the same manner that the sheet material 1 is drawn taut byfthe strip 20, as described above andxillustrated in 'detail in F ig. 5. The strip y20r maybe likewise locked in positionn by bending portions thereof, asmat 33, to lock the strip 20 to the flange 65 and, consequentlysecure the sheet material in its tautcondition over thesurface ofthe running board.

I claim: v

1. In a tread for running boards, .the running board having a flange part, a resilient sheet materiahmeans for securing one edge of the sheet materialzto therunning board, and a metal strip connected to another edge of thesheet material and having-a 'yV-shaped part, the edges of the VrShaped part adapted tofengagethe flange/part of, the running board, one edgegof the Vg-shaped part` adapted toengage the edge, of the kiiange-part and to A at the top of the returned portion the upperV part of the strip will engage the under suri face of thefrunning board at a point remote from the flange part of the running board-and the strip will be secured to the flange part by pressing the strip towards the 'flange ypart against the elastic pressure 'of the returnedy portion of theflange part, and means for securing the other side edge of the sheet material to the running board. 3. In a tread for running boards, aresllien sheet material, a strip of metal connectedy to one edge of the sheet material, the running `board having a flange part, the vflange part having a returned portion extending inwardly and upwardly, the body of the strip having a width such that when one edge is located at lthe top of tl e returned portion the upper part of the strip will engage the under surface of the running board at a point remote from the flange part of the running board and the strip will be secured to' the flange by pressing the strip towards the flange part p i against the elastic pressure .of the vreturned portion; of the flange part, and means se-Y- cured to theother side edge of the sheet maan edge part of the running board and movable relative to the edge part when engaged to stretch the sheet material as the said member is moved relative to the said edge part.

4. In a tread for a running board, the running board havinga pair of flange parts eX- edgeof the sheetmaterial, a flange part of the running board having a returned portion `terlal and comprising a member for engaging ltending along its sideedges, a resilient sheet material, a strip of metal connected to one l extending inwardly and upwardly, the body of .the strip having a width such that when y one edge fis located at the top of the returned portion the upper party of the strip will engage the under surface of the running board at a point remote from the fiange part of the running board andthe strip will be secured to the fianoe part by vpressing the strip towards the flaange part against the elastic pressure of the returned portion of the flange part, and a metal strip connected tothe other edge of the sheet material and having a V-shaped part', the edges of the V-shaped part adapted i te engage a flange` part ofthe running board; one edge of the V-shaped part adapted to engage'the edge of the flange part and to draw the sheet material taut as the V-'shaped part n s pushed yover `the edge of the ange part to postionl the` edge 'of the ange partV n the crotch of the V-shaped part.

In vWtnessrwhereof I have hereunto signedv my name tothsspeccton.

GEORGE E. WHITLOCK. 

